Bakersfield-Delano cost of living
Prices in the Bakersfield-Delano, CA metro area run at 100.9 against a national average of 100, ranking it #70 of 387 metros. Rents there sit at 90.3.
What drives the number
Bakersfield-Delano sits at 100.9, which is as close to the national average as this series gets. That makes it a useful reference point: a salary quoted here means roughly what the same salary means nationally. Against California as a whole it is 9.8 points less expensive, which is the unusual direction, and it means the expensive part of the state is somewhere else.
Housing is unusually cheap relative to everything else here. Rents sit at 90.3 against goods at 105.2 and other services at 158.3, so the overall figure of 100.9 understates how affordable the housing itself is. Services, which are priced by local wages, are what hold the overall number up. Goods at 105.2 are themselves 5.2 points off national, which is a wide gap for a category that is mostly shipped in.
Comparing a job here against one elsewhere on the headline salary alone will mislead by roughly 0.9 per cent. Adjusting by the parity fixes that.
The vertical line is the national average of 100. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, SARPP, 2024.
What the biggest local jobs are really worth
The same pay buys different amounts in different places, so a salary quoted in Bakersfield-Delano is not comparable to one quoted elsewhere until it is divided by the local parity. These are the occupations that employ the most people here, with the quoted median alongside what that median is worth at national prices.
| Occupation | Employed | Median pay | Worth nationally | U.S. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | 34,210 | $35,090 | $34,777 | $35,690 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 14,550 | $33,430 | $33,132 | $34,900 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 9,400 | $36,440 | $36,115 | $30,480 |
| Cashiers | 8,550 | $34,730 | $34,420 | $31,190 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 8,290 | $46,800 | $46,383 | $38,940 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 7,380 | $57,600 | $57,086 | $57,440 |
| Retail Salespersons | 5,630 | $35,190 | $34,876 | $34,580 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 5,560 | $38,370 | $38,028 | $37,090 |
Pay from the BLS metro survey, adjusted by dividing by the metro parity of 100.9.
Nearby metro areas
| Metro area | All items | Rents | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | 115.6 | 194.7 | #1 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | 113.6 | 170.4 | #3 |
| Napa | 112.6 | 197.4 | #4 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 111.9 | 179.3 | #6 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | 110.5 | 171.1 | #9 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | 110.4 | 211.9 | #10 |
Bakersfield-Delano: common questions
Is Bakersfield-Delano expensive?
Prices are 0.9% above the national average, a parity of 100.9 where the country is 100. It ranks #70 of the 387 metro areas BEA measures. Against California as a whole it is 9.8 points less expensive.
What salary do you need in Bakersfield-Delano?
The median worker there earns $46,930, which buys what $46,511 buys nationally once local prices are taken into account. Comparing a salary offer between cities without this adjustment is comparing nothing useful.
Is housing the reason?
Usually. Rents here are at 90.3 against goods at 105.2. Goods barely vary between American cities because most are shipped and priced nationally; housing varies enormously, and it dominates any cost of living comparison.